Facebook is a free and easy-to-use tool that many professional photographers are using to book more clients, spread the word about their brand, and grow their business. If you’ve never used Facebook or have a Facebook profile, but aren’t sure how to use it to grow your business, don’t be intimidated! There are hundreds of Facebook tutorials out there - just use Google or another search engine to find a tutorial that suits your learning style best. Once you’re familiar with Facebook’s basic functions, it’s time to create a Facebook fan page.

Creating a Facebook fan page is important when using Facebook to grow your business. It’s a much better way to interact with your client than using your own personal Facebook page, which could be, well, too personal. Once you create a fan page for your studio, upload your logo or your favorite image as your profile photo and fill in all your important studio information. Make sure to include your contact information, details about your studio, and links to your blog and website. Then, upload a few sample photo albums including images with your studio’s logo or watermark for added protection.

You now have a Facebook fan page! However, you have no fans. Getting fans is easier than you think. Facebook makes it easy for you! On your Facebook fan page, right below your profile photo, click on the Add Fan Box to your site option. This feature allows you to add a box to your blog that provides a link to become a fan. You can also suggest your fan page to your friends by clicking on the Suggest to Friends option. Select all of your friends or just a few to send them a message requesting that they become one of your studio’s fans. You can also link your fan page to your Twitter account by clicking on the banner at the top of your fan page. This feature allows you to export your Facebook fan page updates to your Twitter account.

Another great way to generate more Facebook fans is to send an e-mail to your past clients and event guests, letting them know you’re on Facebook. As an incentive to become a fan, offer them a free 4×6 print or other small gift when they become a fan of your studio on Facebook. Once you are happy with your fan base, keep them interested by updating your page regularly. Don’t be afraid to ask your fans for feedback. Ask them to comment about what they’d like to see on the page and ask them to comment on your images.

Facebook is a free and simple marketing tool, so use it to your advantage!

This week’s websites of the week come from Sae Lee Portrait Gallery and Candy Apple Photography.

Sae Lee of Sae Lee Portrait Gallery shot Claudia and Matt’s engagement session outside of Los Angeles, CA. Sae recalls, “Claudia and Matt love Spanish missions, so we chose to shoot their engagement session at the old San Gabriel Mission. It’s located about fifteen miles north of Los Angeles and is relatively small and secluded. The mood of the mission perfectly complimented Matt and Claudia’s semi-formal attire.”

“My initial excitement with this session was the color tonality. Between the background of the door and couple’s clothing and the directional natural light from the left and additional fill light, I really loved this image.”

“Since Claudia loves mission architecture, I positioned them under the archway, which highlights the structural details.”

“After the vertical portrait, we created this horizontal off-center composition. The couple was closer and the neutral, textured wall supported the mood.”

“Sitting on the bridge over the stream in an intimate, quiet moment.”

“Claudia loved this palm tree, so I created this image with my super wide angle lens, which gives a bit of optical distortion.”

Cassie and Ryan’s wedding was shot by Jennifer Evans of Candy Apple Photography in downtown Denver, CO. “Cassie and Ryan had a really fun, beautiful wedding in downtown Denver,” Jennifer states. “The day started at the dramatic Immaculate Conception Cathedral with its gorgeous altar and tall spires. Then, everyone in the bridal party all hopped on a bus, and we did a fun photo shoot at some scenic Denver locations. Finally, the beautiful day ended at the historic Magnolia Ballroom.”

“The bus had some balloons on it, so we grabbed those for some fun shots.”

“This shot and the next shot was taken at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.”

“A classic portrait of the entire wedding party.”

“The bus stop where we were shooting has this amazing yellow wall that really worked with their black and white wedding colors.”

“We took this picture in Riverfront Park on the Fourth of July weekend. It was such a moment of calm during lots of holiday weekend chaos.”

To view the complete events, visit our websites of the week page.

Since the start of Collages.net in 1999, our customers have been the main source of our growth and continued success. When we see customers, we love to ask the question, “Why do you love Collages.net?” Here are some of our favorite answers:

“With Collages.net, I get a kick-butt online presentation that increases my studio reprint sales.”

“I get paid for my reprint orders each Friday. Cha-ching!”

“I don’t have to put album design on my to-do list anymore.”

“I’m not sitting behind a desk fulfilling small reprint orders – I’m shooting!”

“I like the peace of mind that comes from knowing that my print, product, and posting vendor cares about quality, turnaround time, and service as much as I do.”

Keep talking! We love listening, and our referral bonus for each professional photography colleague you refer is $50.

Tell your professional photography colleagues how much you l-o-v-e Collages.net, and you can earn $50 of credit to spend on Collages.net’s full line of products. Referring a friend is easy and takes less than five minutes. Start today at www.collages.net/referral.

Also, give us a call, shoot us an e-mail, or chat with us to get 50% off of a product you have not yet purchased including albums, books, cards, or gallery wraps.

Photo Credit: Small Wonders Photography

You’re self-employed in a creative industry. What could be better? Your friends are consistently jealous of your Facebook and Twitter statuses that have you outside and about town during normal office hours. “At lunch in this super hip bistro.”  “At the gym. It’s so empty at 10:00 AM. “  “scouting locations in the city and found some delicious ice cream.” What your friends don’t know is that your to-do list never ends, and you go to sleep at night feeling like you didn’t get enough done.

Collages.net compiled a few suggestions on how your studio can increase productivity by becoming more efficient. As a professional photographer, you might be your company’s only employee, but that doesn’t mean your studio can’t become more efficient. Since we can all use a lesson in productivity, here are some of the many ways you can easily increase your studio’s productivity:

Outsource your most time-consuming tasks. How long does it take you to design an album? What could you be doing with the time it takes you to design that album? Designing an album is one of the most time-consuming tasks for professional photographers. Outsource your design to Collages.net and gain back valuable time in your studio. What about print orders? Why should you waste your time manually fulfilling your print orders when Collages.net can fulfill them automatically? Learn more about Collages.net’s automatic print fulfillment workflow here.

Set timelines and deadlines for yourself. It can be difficult, but set timelines and deadlines for your work. If you don’t set a deadline for work to get done, you’ll be much more likely to take on non-essential tasks. For those who find it difficult to stick to self-made deadlines, provide deadlines to your clients so you’ll be held to the date.

Set your own hours. Being self employed provides you with many benefits. You can work anytime, anywhere, but it’s important to set your work hours and stick to them. When you set aside certain hours of the day to work, your priorities will shift dramatically. If you schedule a standard eight-hour day to work each day, you will limit what you can and cannot accomplish in a day.

Eliminate distractions. Many professional photographers have access to the Internet 24 hours a day. It can be hard not to be distracted by non-business related phone calls, e-mails, and social networking. However, it’s important to set aside work time from leisure time. Now that you’ve set your work hours, don’t check your Twitter and Facebook accounts (unless they’re your business accounts), turn off the TV, and keep other distractions to a minimum.

Take a break. Nobody can be productive without taking a break. Make it a point to schedule a lunch or snack break throughout your work day so you can restore your energy and be ready to tackle the rest of your day at maximum productivity.

Stay healthy. Get exercise, eat well, and get enough sleep. When you feel tired or sick, it’s hard to focus on work. When your body is healthy and you get enough sleep, you will be more alert and able to focus.

Avoid multitasking. Studies have shown that multitasking decreases productivity. When you can’t fully focus on one task to complete, you won’t complete each task to your full potential. As hard as it may be, try not to multitask and focus on the most important task on your to-do list.

Go paperless. Scan and save all of your business-related documents to your computer. Dealing with paper contracts and bills is a time waster as it’s usually difficult to keep organized. Also try going paperless with your business’ bills. When there are fewer pieces of mail to open each day, you’ll save yourself even more time.

Manage your staff’s time. If you don’t work alone or are responsible for a staff of photographers, delegate tasks and manage your staff’s time. Employees need direction and must have deadlines in order to work efficiently. Develop a schedule and a timeline of tasks so all employees are clear about their work expectations.

It’s never too late to make your studio more productive and efficient. Even during your busiest season, you can become more productive and save your studio time and money in the long run.

Photos From: http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Everyone%20Else/images-4/clock.jpg
http://greenhealthinformation.com/wp-content/pic/healthy_eating.jpg
http://www.pagcor.ph/pque/portal/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/paperless.jpg

This week’s websites of the week come from Leslie Anne PhotoFinish and Kristen Weaver Photography.

Leslie Halper of Leslie Anne PhotoFinish in Encinitas, CA shot Ben and Jasmin’s engagement session near the Pasadena Bridge. “On my way to meet Ben and Jasmin, I knew this would be one of my favorite sessions,” states Leslie. “I couldn’t help but notice how Ben adores Jasmin and how sweet they are together. With a beautiful couple and amazing backdrops, it was easy to capture all the lovely moments of this awesome session!”

“We had to get one with the amazing architecture. This is one of my favorites.”

“I love the candid and sweet moment of this image. The bridge was an amazing location and gave the images a classic feel.”

“This was one of the last of the evening and I just thought it was such a great end to the evening. It looks like a walk home from a date night!”

“I loved the light we had here and Jasmin’s dress was perfect for this shot!”

“See how cute they are? This was a moment captured in between posed shots, and I love it!”

Amanda and Keith’s wedding was shot by Kristen Weaver of Kristen Weaver Photography in Gainesville, FL. Kristen recalls, “Amanda and Keith got married on a super hot June day in Gainesville, FL. Amanda recently graduated from the University of Florida and Keith lives in Oklahoma as he serves in the United States Air Force. Their wedding was chic and classic with hot pink, black, and gray details. Amanda carried a gorgeous bouquet of pink peonies and roses, and Keith wore his dress blues.”

“This is one of my favorite shots from the wedding! Amanda and Keith incorporated this gorgeous pink and black color scheme with his Air Force career, and I thought that this photo was the perfect way to set the tone for their entire event. Simple, elegant and classic.”

“Amanda just looked so happy in this picture! Keith was so attentive to her and I thought this really captured who they were!”

“This was right after the ceremony, which took place in the gorgeous backyard at the Gainesville Country Club. They were married on this hill that overlooked a beautiful valley. It was the perfect backdrop, and even though it was pushing 100 degrees that day, everything was beautiful and their happiness just radiated!”

“I adore this picture of Amanda! She had a beautiful Oleg Cassini gown and this long flowing veil. Every time she would turn around, the wind would catch her just right and she absolutely glowed! This was one of those moments where timing was everything.”

“I wanted to do something just a little more traditional for their parents, but instead of the standard ‘stand and smile’, I asked them to walk a little bit away from me and then turn towards me. It creates a much more casual version of a traditional pose.”

To view the complete events, visit our websites of the week page.

From September 11-12, 2010 Catherine Ritchie Park of MyLife Photography in Atlanta, GA will be co-hosting The Workshop for 20 professional photographers who are just starting out in the business. Specifically for professional photographers who are just starting out in their careers, this workshop focuses on how to start a successful studio from the bottom up.

Cahterine Ritchie Park

Catherine states, “Many photographers who are just starting out pursued their dream of opening their own studio, but many face the question ‘Now what?’ They have a camera. A dream. A vision. But where do they begin? I am joining forces with Jessica Ashley of Peachtree Photography to put on The Workshop, which will allow photographers to walk away with technical knowledge about their camera, the industry, and some well-needed inspiration. We’re providing an incredible hands-on photo shoot with an engaged couple and another shoot with a bride and groom so attendees can put their ideas into action.”

“We know that professional photographers have lots of questions when they’re just starting out, and we want to answer them. Questions like ‘How do I get started?’ ‘How do I get someone to actually pay for my services?’ ‘How do I take amazing images?’ ‘Where do I advertise?’ and ‘What should I charge?’ are just some of the many that we will be discussing. We know that it is hard starting out as a professional photographer and even harder to make a lasting career out of it. We want photographers to come share in this two-day workshop and walk away feeling inspired and ready to work!”

Catherine is passionate about helping professional photographers who are just starting out find the success in their studio. If you are interested in learning more about The Workshop, visit The Workshop site.

Photo Credit: My Life Photography and Page by Paige Photography (headshot)

If you’re one of the many professional photographers who offers Collages.net Albums and matching Books in their packages, you need to know how to split your album spreads into book pages. Before you design your album, make sure to check out our album templates and book templates. Once you’ve designed your spreads, use our step-by-step directions that outline how to split your spreads into pages using Photoshop:

1. Open your first spread in Photoshop.

2. Select the crop tool. A toolbar at the top of the screen will appear. In the width and height boxes, insert the final page size that you would like the spread to be (i.e. 10 inches width and 10 inches height for a 10×10 book).

3. Starting at the top left corner, draw a box to the bottom center of the spread. Because the size 10×10 is already set up in the crop tool, the aspect ratio of the crop area will be an exact square. It is important to make sure you start in the top left corner of the spread and draw down towards the bottom of the spread, so that the entire left side of the spread is within the crop area.

4. Once the left side of the spread has been cropped, save this file as 001A.jpg.

5. Using the history window, select the step directly above crop (in this case it is “Open”). This will take you back to your original file with the full spread.

6. Using the crop tool set to the final page size, start at the top right corner, and drag the crop tool down to the bottom center point of the spread. It is important to make sure the entire right side of your spread page design is within the crop area.

7. Once the right side of the spread has been cropped, save this file as 001B.jpg.

8. Repeat this process until all spread files have been split into two page files.

Please note that when you are splitting larger spreads to make smaller single pages (i.e. using a 12×12 album spread for a 5×5 book), the trimlines that you originally used for the 12×12 album will appear to be larger on the smaller sizes. For example, 1/8th inch trimmed in on a 12×12 page is not very large, however this same 1/8th inch trim on a 5×5 page cuts into the design much further. We recommend checking the final cropped pages in our Photoshop page templates before submitting the final cropped pages into our ordering system.

Photo Credit: Forever Photography and Nick Corona Photography

This week’s websites of the week come from The Girls Shoot and Andrea Hallgren Photography.

Amy and Steven’s maternity session was shot by Sarah Flores, Felecie Medellin, and Lucie Easterwood of The Girls Shoot. Lucie recalls, “We took Amy and Steven over to the South Shore Harbor Marina in Clear Lake, TX for some canoe time and also to the organic farmer’s market. Amy and Steven both love the water and enjoy being outdoors, so we knew these would be great spots for their session!” 

“This was one of the fist shots of the day. Amy and Steven walked down the ramp to the boat dock and turned around as they were waiting on us. The lighting and scenery was perfect! These two are truly naturals!”

“Amy was so brave standing on this moving dock being seven months pregnant to get this perfect shot!”

“The canoe ride was a bit scary at first, but once they were in we don’t think Amy minded being paddled around like a queen!”

“A quick change, and we headed to the organic farmer’s market. We loved their clothing choice for this spot!”

“Sunglasses were mandatory for this sunny day, and we think they rocked it!”

Andrea Hallgren of Andrea Hallgren Photography shot Sarah and Russ’ wedding in Franklin, TN. “Sarah and Russ had a beautiful garden wedding at the Carnton Plantation,” Andrea states. “Their outdoor wedding and reception with close friends and family couldn’t have been more wonderful! With beautiful summer colors and lovely details, this afternoon wedding was a perfect backdrop for their special day.”

“Sarah and Russ exchanged their vows under this beautiful oak tree. This photo captured the pure joy and love this sweet couple shares between them.”

“I love black and white photography, and I really felt this image captures the pure emotion surrounding their beautiful day.”

“This photo was taken on the side an old smokehouse building next to the Carnton home. I really love the texture of this wall and their wonderful expressions.”

“I thought this was such a cute shot of the two of them.”

“This 1960s blue Jaguar really made for a great backdrop, and of course this adorable couple didn’t hurt the shot either!”

To view the complete events, visit our websites of the week page.

Collages.net is pleased to announce that Miranda and Adam Kneeland of Reminisce Studio by Miranda & Adam are Collages.net’s newest CLASS leaders! They will be holding their first CLASS meeting in August in Hales Corner, WI. Miranda and Adam have been with Collages.net since 2007 and have been featured on our blog and in past Website of the Week features.

Miranda and Adam Kneeland

CLASS is an acronym for Collages.net Learning and Sharing Sessions. These sessions provide an opportunity for professional photographers to come together and learn from each other about shooting, marketing, business practices, and anything else they choose. To learn more about Miranda and Adam’s new CLASS group, visit their Facebook group.

Want to join in on your local CLASS meeting? There are five other CLASS groups that meet throughout the country. Click on the corresponding links to learn more about each group:

Austin, TX CLASS
Southern California CLASS
Denver, CO CLASS
Madison, WI CLASS
Fairfield, CT CLASS

If you’re interested in starting your own local CLASS group, contact marketing@collages.net or give us a shout on Facebook or Twitter and we’ll give you more details!

Collages.net will be conducting routine maintenance on its servers between the hours of 2:00 AM and 7:00 AM EST on August 20, 2010. All efforts will be made to minimize downtime, but it is possible that outages will occur during these hours. We strongly encourage all users to avoid uploading events and ordering products during the evening of August 19, 2010 unless you are confident that the upload will complete before 2:00 AM on the 20th. However, once the maintenance has completed, you may proceed with uploading events and placing orders as normal. Please direct any questions concerning the maintenance to Collages.net’s Product and Workflow Consultants at customerservice@collages.net.